How Semantic Search Impacts Your SEO

Most business owners know by now that SEO is the key to becoming successful online, even when they don’t completely know how it changes and even how it works yet. SEO has been around for many years before Google decided to make it all about user experience more than secret formulas. From then on, Google focused on providing accurate results even with incomplete phrases and misspelled words in the users’ queries. Passive web users may not even know what SEO is all about or how it affects them. Basically, they are just glad to enjoy a great search experience. Of course, for business owners, it’s a different story.

Updates on Google’s Algorithm

Since 2002, Google has implemented algorithm updates and requirements in order to sort through many different websites and to rank them. Because of this, you can no longer use excessive link baiting and you cannot include keyword stuffing in your strategy if you want to be successful. Google wants websites to provide relevant and useful content to the users, so if you want your website to rank, that’s what you’d have to do. Perhaps the emphasis on user-friendly content could be more felt with Google’s Hummingbird algorithm update back in 2013. The Hummingbird algorithm was a game-changer because it was when Google started to focus on the intent of the users rather than the actual keywords used in the queries.

RankBrain is the AI behind this algorithm update and with it, Google search algorithm machines could interpret the intent and the complexities that power the user queries. The intention of the users behind each query is where semantic search originates from.

Voice-to-Text Features

With the sophistication that came with smartphones, the voice to text function was introduced to the world. With this, the users can speak a search phrase or a keyword to the Google search bar found on their smartphones and Google’s mobile platform will translate it to text. This resulted in more users making their searches in a sophisticated manner. Nowadays, people are making Google searches using words they normally use in verbal conversation. Google knows that there’s a huge difference between how people talk and how they type so they made the necessary adjustments and updates to their algorithms. So now, because of it, users can benefit from semantic searches.

The Impact of Semantic SEO Searches

There are many benefits from semantic searches that both business owners and normal web users can enjoy. These benefits include:

Easier and Intuitive SearchWeb users might not even notice the difference, but they are all becoming accustomed to an easier, faster and more intuitive search experience. With semantic searches, they can now easily access relevant results more than ever. In the past, users had to make many different variations of the keywords they are using if their initial search didn’t result in the information they are looking for. On the other side, the business owners and the SEOs had to determine the phrases their customers are likely to use. They also had to write content around those phrases, even when it sounded strange. There wasn’t a strong connection between the intent of the users and the results. Semantic search changed this since it focuses not on the specific words used during the search but on the intention behind the search. This means a new strategy for SEOs and business owners.

Improved Content

With every algorithm update, Google moves closer to its main goal, which is providing the users the best experience they can possibly have. Nowadays, the search results that are the most relevant in relation to your intent in making a query comes up when you make a search – you don’t even have to type it. The emphasis on how specific keywords should be is significantly lessened and business owners no longer need to write content around the keywords. This means that you are free to make your content as high quality as possible because you won’t have to include awkward-sounding phrases in order to nail your ranking. This gives you the freedom to write readable and engaging content to provide the best information to your site visitors.

High-Quality Results

Semantic SEO provides search result pages that are filled with nothing but high-quality and accurate answers to the queries. This is where ‘rich answers’ come in handy. These rich answers are those gathered by Google and displayed automatically in the search result page without the users clicking on any link. These are the short snippets you see showing relevant content from certain websites when you make a query. ‘Rich Answers’ can come in many forms such as charts, tables, maps, sliders, and other types of forms. This allows users to get the information they need instantly, which will improve their experience. Hence they become Google’s loyal patrons.

Better User Value

With Google requiring better content to help online users better, business owners and SEO experts are also investing more time and effort to optimize their websites according to Google’s guidelines and latest algorithm updates. With this move, you can provide the best value for the users searching for information about your niche and you can do something to really address their concerns. The use of exact keywords is not as stressed as it was in the past, so it would be in your best interest if you focus on creating on high-quality content that would appeal to a larger audience.

Increased Flexibility

We can’t emphasize this enough: with the emphasis taken away from the keywords, you can be more flexible with your content. You can provide not only unique and creative content but also something that is ultimately useful. It will be easier to create content that Google wants and at the same time improve the overall browsing experience of your audience.

If your site is not already optimized for semantic search, there is a huge chance that your ranking will drop soon enough. If you are sticking to old-school SEO, there is a huge chance that your site won’t be getting enough attention from Google or from the users you are targeting.

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The Ad Firm is a digital marketing company with a focus on helping our customers achieve great results across several key areas.